When a state faces a deficit, one of the areas that experiences budget cuts is education. This means that public schools have to cut out their arts programs and focus on the rest of the subjects, such as math and science, which are believed to be fundamental. When I was in elementary school, I looked forward to the art projects, music shows, and dancing. My math wizard friends even enjoyed the break from crunching numbers. The art lessons and guest art teachers helped me realize, as I was growing up, that art is my interest and currently my passion.
To think that we are deprived from making such discoveries and restricting students to certain subjects is upsetting. Without the exposure to every subject during our early stages in life, our cognitive abilities will not be fully developed. People will be geared towards certain academic and career paths and homogeneity will prevail.
One example of cutting art programs is from an LA Times article about how the Los Angeles Unified School District has put a stop, for now, on an art program because of spending cuts. The reason I bring up Los Angeles is that LA is one of the leading art cities in the nation, and seeking or producing exceptional artists for recognition can essentially begin at the core. This core includes education at a young age because one of the qualities of a good artist is dedication to his work. With art education, students can figure out early on their potential as artists and begin their careers with dedication. It is also a cultural issue because the arts are usually associated with the community. As the state Supt. of Public Instruction, Jack O’Connell, says, “we have to keep these students involved and engaged…schools need to be more of the hub of the community, not less.”
For students who are interested in subjects other than art, an art program can help build character, creativity, conceptual and analytical skills. It’s good brain exercise and students love to express themselves through art at young ages.